The last month at YLCF was a walk down memory lane…  And while I found “mud on memory lane” at times, it also reminded me of all the things I’ve learned since those years.

If you could write a letter back in time, what would you tell your younger self?

originally written October 26, 2005

It would be nice if no one felt the need to hold me to every little statement I ever made (I prefer to forget them, myself).

Especially since I was such an outspoken teenager at times (in a rather public forum).

I wish I could go back and tell my 16-year-old self a few things (but would I have understood?).

I would remind myself not to judge when I don’t know every detail (thus the only life I could judge would be my own).

I would tell myself never to give unsolicited advice (and think twice before giving solicited advice).

I would explain to myself that courtship is never paint-by-numbers (and not a thing like it is in the books).

I would sternly tell myself not to make blanket statements about what I will or will not do (because it is really much easier to let your man make the decisions anyway).

I would encourage myself to keep dreaming and hold onto my ideals, but expect life to be much different than I planned (but entirely more wonderful than I could have imagined).

And I would laughingly tell myself that it is always someone else who gets married right out of high school (never you).